This document defines and describes common horse coat colors and markings, including: - Black horses have a solid black coat with no light areas, and black mane and tail. - Brown horses vary from medium to dark brown, almost black, but can be distinguished from black by light areas on the muzzle, eyes, flanks, and inside legs. - Bay horses have a black mane and tail with black points and a tan to brown body color.

1. Equine Colors and Markings

2. Black
• Black refers to a horse that is solid black all
over its body with no light areas.
• Mane and tail will be black.

3. Brown
• A brown horse varies from medium, to dark, to almost
black.
• A brown horse can always be distinguished from a
black by the light areas at the muzzle, eyes, flanks and
inside the upper legs.

4. White
• A white horse has pure white coat, including
their main and tail.

5. Bay
• A horse that has a black mane and tail,
usually black points, remaining body color
varying from tan to brown, or a reddish
brown.

6. Chestnut
• Dark red or brownish red with the mane and
tail either the same or lighter in color than
the body

7. Sorrel
• Body color is reddish or copper-red.
• Mane and tail usually same color as body, but may be
flaxen

8. Buckskin
•Body color is yellowish or gold.
•Mane and tail are black and black on lower legs.

9. Palomino
• Horses which are a golden color, with a white
or light colored mane and tail.

10. Dun
• Horses have a yellowish or gold body color with a
mane and tail that are usually black or brown.
• Usually has “zebra-like” stripes on legs

11. Roan
• Mixture of white and
black, or white and red,
hairs over most of the
body.
▫ Usually darker on head
and lower legs.

12. Tobiano
• Dark color usually covers
one or both flanks.
• Generally all four legs are
white.
• Head markings are like a
solid-colored horse.
• May be predominantly
dark or white.
• Tail is often two colors.

13. Tobiano
White markings usually cross the back
between the withers and tail

14. Overo
• Generally dark legs.
• Color is irregular,
scattered or splashy.
• Often bold head
markings, for example, a
bald face.
• May be predominantly
dark or white.
• Tail is usually one color.

15. Overo
• White markings do not usually cross the
back between the withers and the tail.
Overo

16. White

17. Tobiano
White markings usually
cross the back
between the withers
and tail

18. Black

19. Chestnut

20. Sorrel

21. Buckskin

22. Overo
• White markings do not
usually cross the back
between the withers and
the tail.
Overo

23. Bay

24. Dun

25. Brown

26. Roan

27. Palomino